We frequently stress that having a simple will does not help loved ones until after you pass away. In the days, weeks or years that you might be unable to make decisions, you need to have proper documents in place to avoid the need for a guardianship. In completing...
Atul Gawande’s book Being Mortal has made many waves across the medical profession and has important implications for estate planning. Gawande is a practicing surgeon and acclaimed writer who audaciously tackled the immense issue of how the healthcare system has...
For older Americans, falls are a leading cause of death. Falling becomes a serious concern as early as the 70s when bones start to become more brittle. Broken bones also take longer to heal. A fall can become the triggering event that leads to a loved one’s ultimate...
People have been making New Year's resolutions for 4,000 years since the Babylonians started the practice, according to the History Channel. The beginning of a new year is a time to examine your life to see what steps you may take to make improvements, including...
Many creditors take an aggressive approach after the death of a loved one. As a personal representative, be cautious. Depleting an estate’s cash to pay these “squeaky wheels” can cause trouble down the road.Because you may only administer an estate...
It is hard to believe that scam artists would be targeting elderly individuals over the holidays, but that is what happens. This blog post comes from a Facebook news feed story.In the story, a 78-year-old grandmother received a call from someone claiming to be her...
Colorado does not have a state estate or inheritance tax. On the federal level, however, the estate tax is 40 percent. It only kicks in for large estates with a gross value of more than $5.49 million.An analysis by the Tax Policy Center found that about 11,310 estates...
Creating a catchy title for federal legislation must be its own niche on Capitol Hill. The aptly named Senior$afe Act must have been coined by a financial planner.It begins to answer the question of how we reduce senior financial fraud. Brokerages and financial...
Retirement accounts, life insurance and annuities are probably not controlled by provisions in your will. Why is this? These types of accounts and any other designated “payable on death” or “transfer on death” automatically pass to a named...
This question involves two separate legal practice areas: family law and probate law. In September, the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that in most situations spousal support/maintenance payments end when the obligor (spouse ordered to pay it) dies.In cases where the...
